An inferno that destroyed or damaged nearly two dozen buildings in a city in upstate New York was sparked by an amateur bladesmith who apparently was trying to imitate something he saw on TV, officials said.

The blaze broke out Thursday afternoon in downtown Cohoes, just north of Albany, and was stoked by 20 to 30 mph winds.

Three buildings were destroyed, 18 others were damaged and at least 20 people were displaced, according to the Times Union of Albany.

Scroll down for video

An inferno that destroyed or damaged nearly two dozen buildings (pictured) in a city in upstate New York was sparked by an amateur bladesmith who apparently was trying to imitate something he saw on TV, officials said

The blaze broke out Thursday afternoon in downtown Cohoes, just north of Albany, and was stoked by 20 to 30mph winds

John Gomes (pictured in court) was arrested and charged with felony reckless endangerment and misdemeanor arson?

'It is the worst disaster the city has ever seen,' Mayor Shawn Morse told reporters at a news conference on Thursday. The city has a population of around 16,000.

Morse said John Gomes, of Cohoes, apparently was trying to bend metal in an attempt to imitate the History Channel television series 'Forged in Fire' when he started a barrel fire in his backyard that quickly spread.?

Share this article

Forge welding is the process of fusing two seperate pieces of metal together using only heat and pressure, which is one technique that is shown in the TV show. ?

The TV series is about bladesmiths competing to create 'history's most iconic edged weapons'.

Gomes, 51, was charged with felony reckless endangerment and misdemeanor arson.?He pleaded not guilty at his arraignment Thursday night and was jailed on $15,000 bail, the newspaper reported.?

Gomes was allegedly trying to bend metal in an attempt to imitate the History Channel television series 'Forged in Fire' (left and right) when he started a barrel fire in his backyard that quickly spread

Three buildings were destroyed (pictured), 18 others were damaged and at least 20 people were displaced

Officials said the city is under a state of emergency. 'It is the worst disaster the city has ever seen,' Mayor Shawn Morse said during a news conference on Thursday. Firefighters worked several hours to control the multi-structure fire ?